The Three Pikachus
In this article, you will come across three Pikachus: Pikachu from Pokemon, the Filipino translation, Batman, and the Lithuanian translation, Iron Man. Pikachu - Pokemon Pikachu (ピカチュウ''Pikachu'') is an Electric-type Mouse Pokémon introduced in Generation I that is the evolved form of Pichu. Pikachu is famous for being the most well-known and recognizable Pokémon in Generations 1-5. Over the years, Pikachu has become so popular that it serves as the Pokémon franchise mascot. In 1998, it became a Version Mascot for the game Pokémon Yellow. In the series, Ash's Pikachu had extremely strong powers, which is the reason Team Rocket is after it. 'Appearances' Pikachu is a small, chubby rodent-like Pokémon which is covered almost completely by yellow fur. It has long yellow ears that are tipped with black. A Pikachu's back has two brown stripes, and its large tail is notable for being shaped like a lightning bolt. On its cheeks are two circle-shaped red pouches used for storing electricity, which turn yellow and spark with electricity when its about to use an Electric attack such as Thunderbolt. A female Pikachu looks almost exactly the same as a male with the exception of her tail. A female Pikachu's tail is rounded at the end and has an inward dent, giving it the appearance of a heart. Like Pichu, Pikachu store most of their electricity within the red areas of their cheeks. You can see small surges of electric energy whenever a Pikachu gets protective, angry, etc. 'Special Abilities' Pikachu's special ability is Static, which can cause paralysis in battle if hit by a physical move. In Pokémon Black and White's Dream World, the Trainer receives a Pikachu with the Lightningrod ability. 'Evolution' Pikachu evolves into a Raichu by using a Thunder Stone. It evolves from Pichu when its happiness is maxed with the trainer. 'Origins' *'Design origin --' Though not the first Pokémon created, Pikachu was the first "Electric-type" Pokémon created, conceived after the type was suggested to Sugimori and designed around the concept of electricity and the common symbol for lightning. *'Etymology --' The name "Pikachu" is a portmanteau of the Japanese words "pikapika", an onomatopoeia for electric sparkling, and "chū", which is the Japanese onomatopoeia for a mouse's squeak. It may also be based on the pika, a mouse-like animal more closely related to rabbits but it's behavior (or more noticibally it's eating habits) resemble that of hamsters. 'Place Among The World Of Pokemon' Pikachu is concidered to be the protagonist of all among Pokemon in the TV series. Pikachu - Batman :"Batman phenomena gives me great satisfaction to realize that I have millions of fans in the world. That I have created a hero that influenced so many people in the world and it gives me a wonderful spiritual satisfaction to know that and it really touches my heart, I feel so gratified that I created a superhero who can reach all elements of our society, And that's quite fulfilling" :―Bob Kane Batman '''is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger and published by DC Comics. The character made his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). Batman is the secret identity of '''Bruce Wayne. Witnessing the murder of his parents as a child leads him to train himself to physical and intellectual perfection and don a bat-themed costume in order to fight crime. Batman operates in Gotham City, assisted by various supporting characters including his sidekick Robin and his butler Alfred Pennyworth, and fights an assortment of villains influenced by the characters' roots in film and pulp magazines. Unlike most superheroes, he does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess, and intimidation in his war on crime. Batman became a popular character soon after his introduction, and eventually gained his own title, Batman. As the decades wore on, differing takes on the character emerged. The late 1960s Batman television series utilized a camp aesthetic associated with the character for years after the show ended. Various creators worked to return the character to his dark roots, culminating in the 1986 miniseries Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, by writer-artist Frank Miller. That and the success of director Tim Burton's 1989 Batman motion picture helped reignite popular interest in the character. A cultural icon, Batman has been licensed and adapted into a variety of media, from radio to television and film, and appears on a variety of merchandise sold all over the world. 'History' Batman's history has undergone various revisions, both minor and major. Few elements of the character's history have remained constant. Scholars William Uricchio and Roberta E. Pearson noted in the early 1990s, "Unlike some fictional characters, the Batman has no primary urtext set in a specific period, but has rather existed in a plethora of equally valid texts constantly appearing over more than five decades." The central fixed event in the Batman stories is the character's origin story. As a little boy, Bruce Wayne is shocked to see his parents, the physician Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha Wayne, being murdered by a mugger in front of his very eyes. This drives him to fight crime in Gotham City as Batman. Pearson and Uricchio also noted beyond the origin story and such events as the introduction of Robin, "Until recently, the fixed and occurring and hence, canonized, events have been few in number," a situation altered by an increased effort by later Batman editors such as Dennis O'Neil to ensure consistency and continuity between stories. 'Personality' Batman, in most of his incarnations, is a dark and grim hero with a personal vendetta against criminals. Traumatized by the death of his parents, Batman has sworn to rid Gotham from the criminal elements that took his parents from him. He is very paranoid and obsessive, which often makes it difficult for him to trust people other than Alfred, the Robins or the Batgirls. Despite this, Batman has proved to have a great love for humanity, which was instilled by his parents. His father was a doctor, while his mother was a crusader against child abuse. Indeed, Batman's oath of vengeance is tempered with the greater ideal of justice. He refrains from killing, as he feels this would not make him any better than the criminals he fights. He is also a very prominent member of the Justice League and the founder of the Outsiders. To protect his secret identity, Batman has constructed a fake persona he can use in his civilian identity. To the world at large, Bruce Wayne is a self-absorbed, irresponsible playboy and philanthropist. Only his closest allies know that this attitude is just an act. 'Powers and Abilities' There are a plethora of superheroes without superpowers but of them all the Batman character relies on "his own scientific knowledge, detective skills, and athletic prowess." In the comic books, Batman is regarded as one of the world's greatest detectives. During Grant Morrison's first storyline in JLA, Superman describes Batman as "the most dangerous man on Earth," able to defeat a team of super-powered aliens all by himself in order to rescue his imprisoned teammates. He is also a master of disguise, often gathering information under the identity of Matches Malone, a notorious gangster. Through intense training, specialized diet, and biofeedback treatments, Batman represented the pinnacle of human physical prowess. His physical attributes exceeded that of any Olympic level athlete that has ever competed. His strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes and coordination are at peak human perfection. Here's a list of all of Batman's abilities: *'Indomitable Will:' He has no known superhuman powers, but he does have an extreme, almost superhuman "force of will". *'Intimidation:' It is widely known that Batman has the ability to instill fear in others, even the people that know him best are intimidated by him. Even those who aren't afraid of the likes of Superman fear Batman. *'Expert Inquisitor:' Batman is adept in the use of interrogation techniques, employing anything from law enforcement methods to outright torture. *'Peak Human Conditioning:' Through intense training, specialized diet, and biofeedback treatments, The Batman represented the pinnacle of human physical prowess. His physical attributes exceeded that of any Olympic level athlete that has ever competed. His strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, and coordination are at the peak of human potential. Batman began his physical and mental conditioning when he was 11 and then intense physical training and weight lifting at age 12. He had mastered full body control by the time he was 18. Wayne abstains entirely from drinking alcohol, though he presented Bruce Wayne, his alter ego, as a borderline alcoholic (he created this illusion by drinking ginger ale and pretending it was champagne). Batman's refusal to drink was directly linked to keeping his body in its absolute best. Bruce Wayne, since the age of 15, has created a strict diet to enable his body to develop and operate at its most proficient, along with biofeedback treatments (using portable/non portable machines to stimulate muscles to contraction). Batman has performed amazing physical feats due to his superior physique. He engaged in an intensive regular regimen of rigorous exercise (including aerobics, weight lifting, gymnastics, and simulated combat) to keep himself in peak condition, and has often defeated opponents whose size, strength, or other powers greatly exceeded his own. He has spent his entire life in pursuit of physical perfection and has attained it through constant intensive training and determination. :*''Peak Human Strength: He can break steel chains and cuffs, support a ceiling that weighed over 1000lbs, bent steel metal bars with his hands. Batman even punched a SWAT officer through a brick wall. He utilizes his strength/power so effectively, that a near-meta such as Deathstroke comments that Batman "hits harder than most beings with superhuman strength." During his exercise regimes, Batman regularly bench-presses at least 1000Ibs. :*Peak Human Reflexes: Batman's reflexes are practically superhuman. :*Peak Human Speed: He can run at speeds comparable to the finest competing athletes. :*Peak Human Endurance: His endurance was comparable to that of the finest Olympic Decathlon participant. His lung capacity is so great that he can hold his breath underwater for 3 minutes and 15 seconds. :*Peak Human Agility: His agility is greater than that of a Chinese acrobat and an Olympic gold medalist gymnast. His main phase of movement is Parkour which he learned in France and uses it to scale the cities rooftops in an acrobatic manner. *'Expert Acrobat:' Proficient in gymnastics and acrobatics, to the peak of human ability. *'Martial Arts Expert:' Batman is one of the finest human combatants Earth has ever known. He trained in the US for various martial arts for 3 years. He has mastered 127 styles of martial arts including Muay Thai, Escrima, Krav Maga, Capoeira, Savate, Yawyan, Taekwondo, Judo, Jujitsu, Ninjitsu, Kendo, Fencing, Kenjutsu, Kali, Bojutsu, Francombat, Boxing, Kickboxing, Hapkido, Wing Chun, Parkour, Shorin Ryu, Silat, Chin Na, Hokuto Shinken, Kyudo, Aikido, Varma Ati, Jeet Kune Do, Shaolin, Ba Gua, Hung Gar, Tai Chi, Kung Fu, Kenpo, and Karate. His primary form of combat is an idiosyncratic admixture of Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Muay Thai, Karate, Boxing, Jujitsu, and Ninjitsu. :*Weapon Master: Through his martial arts training, he has become an expert on virtually all types of weaponry. He is an exceptional swordsman as evident in his fight with Ra's al Ghul, his proficiency in Jui Jitsu can proclaim his swordsmanship skill. Proficient with most melee weapons due to his mastery ofOkinawan Kobudo. He was trained and became proficient in all arms. He soon learned expanded melee weapon techniques and he has learned expanded weapon/device sciences. He still practices during his combat sessions to keep his skills intact, though he prefers unarmed combat. :*Master of Stealth: His Ninjutsu training has made him a master at stealth capable of breaching high security facilities with ease and without being detected. :*Expert Marksman: Due in part to his training in Ninjitsu, Batman almost never misses his targets, 9/10 times he's successful. *'Genius Intellect:' (Batman's IQ is possibly well over 200) Batman is a brilliant, virtually peerless, detective, strategist, scientist, tactician, and commander; he is widely regarded as one of the keenest analytical minds on the planet. Given his lack of superpowers, he often uses cunning and planning to outwit his foes, rather than simply "out-fighting" them. :*Polymath: He has studied Biology, Technology, Mathematics, Physics, Mythology, Geography, & History. Gained degrees in Criminal Science, Forensics, Computer Science, Chemistry and Engineering by the time he was 21. He has mastered Diverse Environmental Training, Security Systems, and illusion/sleight of hand by the time he was 23. He gained even more degrees in Biology, Physics, Advanced Chemistry, and Technology by the time he was 25. He has learned Forensic, Medical Sciences, Expanded Computer and Engineering Sciences, and Expanded Device Pool use of personal powered armor and system, database creation on underworld crime bosses, rogue's gallery foes and other supers; improved material sciences for body armor and micro-machinery by the time he was 26. Has also learned Advanced New Development in Forensic and Medical Sciences. :*'Master Detective:' He is widely considered as the World's Greatest Detective, capable of observation, forensic investigation, and inductive and deductive reasoning of the highest caliber. Human intuition is an unlearnable trait and one of Batman's most effective tools. Given any mystery, he can arrive at any conclusions with a fraction of the data. :*'Multi-Lingual:' He is able to speak Spanish, French, Latin, German, Japanese, English, Russian, Cantonese, Mandarin, and possibly more. :*'Master Strategist:' He commonly utilizes cunning tactics to outwit his foes. He is an excellent leader and at times commands the Justice League and the Outsiders. :*'Escapologist:' He has been described as second only to Mister Miracle as an escape artist. He has been seen escaping from a posey straitjacket in less than 52 seconds, and remarked afterwards that the time was way too slow for him. :*'Crack Pilot:' Has been seen flying the various versions of the Batplanes with ease and flying a helicopter. :*'Expert Tracker:' Trained in hunting techniques by African Bushmen (the Ghost Tribes of the Ten-eyed Brotherhood, among others). :*Master of Disguise: Has mastered the art of disguise by the time he was 23. Has further learned Expanded Disguise techniques by the time he was 26. Batman has many aliases he uses to infiltrate the underworld or just to go undercover in public situations. His current aliases are: Matches Malone, Thomas Quigley, Ragman, Detective Hawke, Sir Hemingford Grey,Lester Krutz, Frank Dixon, Gordon Selkirk, and Mr. Fledermaus. :*Expert Mechanic and Driver: Batman is proficient at combat driving. He has also pioneered improved vehicle designs. In addition, he has been trained and is proficient in basic vehicular operations. 'Peak Human Strength: Batman engages in an intensive exercise regimen, and because of this his strength, like all other physical attributes are at the peak of human perfection. He can press/lift close to 1000 lbs, and has demonstrated enough strength in some cases to rip steel bars from their moorings, and snap high-strength handcuffs with ease. '''Paraphernalia - Equipment *'Bat-Suit': Batman's costume is composed of Kevlar and a small percentage of titanium; it is bullet-proof and resistant to most forms of attack (explosions, blunt trauma, falls, etc.) It is also flame-retardant and insulated. The gloves and the boots are reinforced to nullify the impact of punches and kicks. Batman's gauntlets have metallic blades on their sides. The cape is extremely light and can be used to glide long distances. The cowl is composed in small part by lead, which shields Batman's face from identification via x-rays. It has also an infrared viewer and auditory sensors. The cowl is outfitted with security systems (aggravating gas, electric blasts, etc.) like the utility belt. The mask is also a transmitter-receiver. *'Utility Belt': Batman keeps most of his personal field equipment in his iconic yellow utility belt. Over the years, it has produced plastic explosives, nerve toxins, batarangs, smoke bombs, a fingerprint kit, a cutting tool, a grappling hook gun, and a re-breather. Superman also entrusted Batman with a ring made of Kryptonite, should the Man of Steel ever need to be reined in (due to mind-control by a super-villain, etc.). 'Paraphernalia - Weapons' Batarangs (Several Different Types), small explosives, smoke and tear gas pellets. He is also known to have a Grapnel Gun, a Line Launcher, a Batclaw, and disruptor for firearms, mines, and Freeze technology. 'Notes' *Batman's origin story involving the murder of Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne has been retconned several times. It was originally established that the mugger had been named Joe Chill and Bruce was aware of this. Zero Hour changed this so that his identity was never revealed, symbolically strengthening the potential link between any criminal and the man who killed his parents. Infinite Crisis said that it had been Joe Chill and he had been arrested the very same night, making this the current version. This is expanded upon in a later story which showed Batman slowly driving Chill insane with mental torture before causing him to snap and commit suicide with the bullet meant for Bruce as a child. *In Detective Comics #27 (Batman's first appearance) Batman doesn't seem to care that he killed Alfred Stryker. Alfred falls into a vat of acid and Batman just says that it serves him right. *In Pre-Crisis stories Bruce Wayne had been a founding member of the Justice League of America. After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, they retconned that the founding members of the League were Aquaman, Black Canary, Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter. Batman was shown to have disdain for this group. Infinite Crisis changed this again so that he had been one of the founding members along with Superman and Wonder Woman. *Batman sired a child with Talia al Ghul during their marriage, named Ibn al Xu'ffasch. Dennis O'Neil mentioned that this story was ignored from continuity around Zero Hour because it did not fit in well with the rest of the mythos. Infinite Crisis brings most of this back into continuity with the story Batman and Son''by introducing Damian Wayne and stating that Batman was drugged and pretty much raped. *Batman's first appearance is in Detective Comics #27. His first Post-Crisis appearance in present continuity is during Batman: Year One in Batman #404. 'Trivia' *Bruce's birthday is February 19th. *Batman does not drink alcohol. *Batman's online screenname is JonDoe297. *Forbes.com has listed Bruce Wayne as #8 on its list of fifteen wealthiest fictional characters, with a net worth of U.S 6.5 Billion. *Batman will not kill because it would make him no better than the criminals he defeats. For the Joker in particular he has come to terms with the fact that the Joker doesn't deserve death but deserves to suffer for the crimes he's committed and death would be an "act of mercy". 'Place in The World of Batman' Batman is the protagonist in most TV shows he's in. He's the protagonist in Gotham City. Pikachu - Iron Man '''Iron Man' (Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark) is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications from Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee, scripterLarry Lieber, and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, Iron Man first appeared in Tales of Suspense #39 (March 1963). Tony Stark, after suffering a severe heart injury and being kidnapped, was forced to build a devastating weapon for his kidnappers. He instead created a suit of power armor to save his life and help protect the world as Iron Man. 'Overview' Anthony Stark is a wealthy industrialist and genius inventor who created military weapons and whose metal suit is laden with technological devices that enable him to fight crime. Throughout most of his career, Iron Man has been a member of the superhero team The Avengers and has been featured in several incarnations of his own various comic book series. He has been adapted into several animated TV shows, as well as the 2008 film Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. Forbes''has ranked Iron Man among the wealthiest fictional characters on their annual ranking. 'The Beginning' Iron Man's premiere was a collaboration among editor and story-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, story-artist Don Heck, and Jack Kirby. In 1963, Lee had been toying with the idea of a businessman superhero. He set out to make the new character a rich, glamorous ladies' man, but one with a secret that would plague and torment him as well. Lee based this playboy's personality on Howard Hughes, explaining, "Howard Hughes was one of the most colorful men of our time. He was an inventor, an adventurer, a multi-billionaire, a ladies' man and finally a nutcase". While Lee intended to write the story himself, he eventually handed the premier issue over to Lieber, who fleshed out the story. The art, meanwhile, was split between Kirby and Heck. "He designed the costume," Heck said of Kirby, "because he was doing the cover. The covers were always done first. But I created the look of the characters, like Tony Stark and his secretary Pepper Potts". Iron Man first appeared in 13- to 18-page stories in ''Tales of Suspense, which featured anthology science fiction and supernatural stories. The character's original costume was abulky grey armor, which later turned golden in his second story (issue #40, April 1963), and then redesigned again as a sleeker red-and-golden armor starting in issue #48 (Dec. 1963), drawn by Steve Ditko. In his premiere, Iron Man was an anti-communist hero, defeating various Vietnamese agents; Lee later regretted this early focus. Throughout the character’scomic book series, technological advancement and national defense were constant themes for Iron Man, but later issues developed Stark into a more complex and vulnerable character as they depicted his battle with alcoholism and other personal difficulties. From issue #59 (Nov. 1964) to its final issue #99 (March 1968), the anthological science-fiction backup stories in''Tales of Suspense'' were replaced by a feature starring the superhero Captain America. After issue #99 (March 1968), the book's title was changed to Captain America. Iron Man stories moved to the title Iron Man and Sub-Mariner in April 1968, before the "Golden Avenger" made his solo debut with The Invincible Iron Man #1 (May 1968). Writers have updated the war in which Stark is injured. In the original 1963 story, it was Vietnam. Later, in the 1990s, it was updated to be the first Gulf War, and then updated again to be Afghanistan. However, his time with the Asian scientist Yin Sen is consistent through nearly all incarnations of the Iron Man origin, depicting Stark and Yin Sen building the original armor together. One exception is the direct-to-DVD animated feature film The Invincible Iron Man, in which the first armor Stark uses is not the first Iron Man suit. 'Biography - Origins' Anthony Stark was born on Long Island, the son of Howard Stark, a wealthy industrialist and head of Stark Industries, and Maria Stark. Tony is a boy genius, entering MIT at the age of 15 to study electrical engineering, and graduating at the top of his class. After his parents' accidental deaths in a car crash, he inherits his father's company. While observing the effects of his experimental technologies on the American war effort, Stark is injured by a booby trap and captured by the enemy, who then orders him to design weapons for them. However, Stark's injuries are dire and shrapnel in his chest threatens to pierce his heart. His fellow prisoner, Ho Yinsen, a physicist whose work Stark had greatly admired during college, constructs a magnetic chest plate to keep the shrapnel from reaching Stark's heart, keeping him alive. Stark uses the workshop to design and construct in secret a suit of powered armor. Stark uses the armor to escape, although Yinsen dies during the attempt. Stark takes revenge on his kidnappers, then heads back to rejoin the American forces. Along the way he meets a wounded American Marine Corps helicopter pilot, James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Back home, Stark discovers the shrapnel lodged in his chest cannot be removed without killing him, and he is forced to wear the armor's chestplate beneath his clothes to act as a regulator for his heart. He must also recharge the chestplate every day or else risk the shrapnel killing him. The cover for Iron Man is that he is Stark's bodyguard and corporate mascot. To that end, Iron Man fights threats to his company, Communism opponents such as the Black Widow, the Crimson Dynamo and the Titanium Man as well as independent villains like the Mandarin. No one suspects Stark of being Iron Man as he cultivates an image as a rich playboy and industrialist. Two notable members of Stark's supporting cast at this point are his personal chauffeur Harold "Happy" Hogan and secretary Virginia "Pepper" Potts, to both of whom he eventually reveals his dual identity. Meanwhile, Jim Rhodes would find his own niche as Stark's personal pilot of extraordinary skill and daring. The comic took an anti-Communist stance in its early years, which was softened as opposition rose to the Vietnam War. This change evolved in a series of stories with Stark profoundly reconsidering his political opinions and the morality of manufacturing weapons for the military. Stark, however, often shows himself to be occasionally arrogant and willing to let the ends justify the means. This leads to personal conflicts with the people around him, both in his civilian and superhero identities. Stark uses his personal fortune not only to outfit his own armor but to develop weapons for S.H.I.E.L.D. and other technologies such as the Quinjets used by the Avengers, and the image inducers used by the X-Men. Eventually, Stark's heart condition is discovered by the public and cured with an artificial heart transplant. However, Stark also develops a serious dependency on alcohol. The first time it becomes a problem is when Stark discovers that the national security agency S.H.I.E.L.D. has been buying a controlling interest in his company in order to ensure Stark's continued weapons development for them. At the same time, Stark's business rival Justin Hammer hires several supervillains to attack Stark. At one point, the Iron Man armor is even taken over and used to murder a diplomat. Although Iron Man is not immediately under suspicion, Stark is forced to hand the armor over to the authorities. Eventually Stark and Rhodes, who is now his personal pilot and confidant, track down and defeat those responsible, although Hammer would return to bedevil Stark again. With the support of his then-girlfriend, Bethany Cabe, his friends and his employees, Stark pulls through these crises and overcomes his dependency on alcohol. 'Biography - 1980's and 1990's' In an attempt to stop other people from misusing his designs, Stark goes about disabling other armored heroes and villains who are using suits based on the Iron Man technology, the designs of which were stolen by his enemy Spymaster. His quest to destroy all instances of the stolen technology severely hurts his reputation as Iron Man. After attacking and disabling a series of minor villains such as Stilt-Man, he attacks and defeats the government operative known as Stingray. The situation is worsened when Stark realizes that Stingray's armor does not incorporate any of his designs. He publicly "fires" Iron Man while covertly pursuing his agenda. He uses the cover story of wanting to help disable the rogue Iron Man to infiltrate and disable the armor of the S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives known as the Mandroids, and disabling the armor of the Guardsmen, in the process allowing some of the villains that they guard to escape. This leads the United States government to declare Iron Man a danger and an outlaw. Iron Man then travels to Russia where he inadvertently causes the death of the Soviet Titanium Man II during a fight. Returning to the U.S he faces an enemy commissioned by the government named Firepower. Unable to defeat him head on, Stark fakes Iron Man's demise, intending to retire the suit forever. When Firepower goes rogue, Stark creates a new suit, claiming that a new person is in the armor. Stark's health continues to deteriorate, and he discovers the armor's cybernetic interface is causing irreversible damage to his nervous system. His condition is aggravated by a failed attempt on his life by a mentally unbalanced former lover which injures his spine, paralyzing him. Stark has a nerve chip implanted into his spine to regain his mobility. Still, Stark's nervous system continues its slide towards failure, and he constructs a "skin" made up of artificial nerve circuitry to assist it. Stark also begins to pilot a remote-controlled Iron Man armor, but when faced with the Masters of Silence, the telepresence suit proves inadequate. Stark then designs a more heavily armed version of the suit to wear, the "Variable Threat Response Battle Suit", which becomes known as the War Machine armor. Ultimately, the damage to his nervous system becomes too extensive. Faking his death, Stark places himself in suspended animation to heal as Rhodes takes over the running of Stark Enterprises and the mantle of Iron Man using the War Machine armor. Stark ultimately makes a full recovery by using a chip to reprogram himself and reassumes the Iron Man identity. When Rhodes learns that Stark has manipulated his friends by faking his own death, he becomes enraged and the two friends part ways, Rhodes continuing as War Machine in a solo career. The story arc "The Crossing" reveals Iron Man as a traitor among the Avengers' ranks, due to his having been manipulated for years and used as a sleeper agent by the time-traveling dictator Kang the Conqueror. Stark, in Kang's thrall, kills Marilla, the nanny of Crystal and Quicksilver's daughter Luna, as well as Rita DeMara, the femaleYellowjacket, then an ally of the Avengers. (The miniseries Avengers Forever''later retcons these events as having been due to the machinations of a disguised Immortus, not Kang, and that the mental control had gone back only a few months). Needing help to defeat both Stark and the ostensible Kang, the team travels back in time to recruit a teenaged Tony Stark from an alternate timeline to assist them. The young Stark steals an Iron Man suit in order to aid the Avengers against his older self. The sight of his younger self shocks the older Stark enough for him to regain momentary control of his actions, and he sacrifices his life to stop Kang. The young Stark later builds his own suit to become the new Iron Man, and, remaining in the present day, gains legal control of "his" company. During the battle with the creature called Onslaught, the teenaged Stark dies, along with many other superheroes. However, Franklin Richards preserves these "dead" heroes in the "Heroes Reborn" pocket universe, in which Tony Stark is once again an adult hero; Franklin recreates the heroes in the pocket universe in the forms he is most familiar with rather than what they are at the present. The reborn adult Stark, upon returning to the normal Marvel Universe, merges with the original Stark, who had died during "The Crossing," but was resurrected by Franklin Richards. This new Tony Stark possesses the memories of both the original and teenage Tony Starks, and thus considers himself to be essentially both of them. With the aid of the law firm Nelson & Murdock, he successfully regains his fortune and- what with Stark Enterprises having been sold to the Fujikawa Corporation following Stark's death- sets up a new company, Stark Solutions. He also returns from the pocket universe with a restored and healthy heart. After the Avengers reform, Stark demands a hearing be convened to look into his actions just prior to the Onslaught incident. Cleared of wrongdoing, he rejoins the Avengers. 'Biography - 2000's' At one point, Stark's armor becomes sentient despite fail-safes to prevent its increasingly sophisticated computer systems from doing so. Initially, Stark welcomes this "living" armor, as it has improved tactical abilities, but soon the armor's behavior begins to grow more aggressive, and it even kills. Eventually, the armor reaches the point where it wants to join with Stark and eventually replace him. Stark finds he cannot defeat the armor, but in the final confrontation on a desert island, Stark suffers another heart attack. To save its creator's life, the armor gives up part of its components to give Stark a new, artificial heart, sacrificing its own existence. The new heart solves Stark's health problems, but it does not have an internal power supply, so Stark becomes once again dependent on periodic recharging. The sentient armor incident so disturbs Stark that he goes back to using an early model version of his armor for a while, lacking the sophistication of the sentient version and thus unlikely to result in a repeat of the same problem. He also dabbles with using liquid metal circuitry known as S.K.I.N. that will form itself into a protective shell around his body, but eventually returns to more conventional hard metal armors. During this time, Stark engages in a romance with Rumiko Fujikawa, (first appearance in ''Iron Man vol. 3, #4), a wealthy heiress and daughter of the man who had taken over his company during the "Heroes Reborn" period. An intelligent and resourceful woman, she nonetheless begins the relationship in part to rebel against her stern father, who disapproves of Stark. Her relationship with Stark endures many highs and lows, including an infidelity with Stark's rival, Tiberius Stone, in part because the fun-loving Rumiko believes that Stark is too serious and dull. Their relationship ends with Rumiko's death at the hands of an Iron Man impostor in Vol. 3, #87. In Iron Man vol. 3, #55 (July 2002), Stark publicly reveals his dual identity as Iron Man, not realizing that by doing so, he has invalidated the agreements protecting his armor from government duplication (since those contracts state that the Iron Man armor would be used by an employee of Tony Stark, not by Stark himself). When he discovers that the United States military is again using his technology, Stark, rather than confront them as before, accepts a Presidential appointment as Secretary of Defense. In this way, he hopes to monitor and direct how his designs are used. He is forced to resign after launching into a tirade against the Latverian ambassador at the United Nations, being manipulated by the mentally imbalanced Scarlet Witch. Following this, the Scarlet Witch causes the destruction of the Avengers mansion and the death of several Avengers; Stark claims publicly that he will stand down as Iron Man. The "new" Iron Man remains Stark; however, the catastrophic events that preceded this, combined with Stark's assertion, convinces the public that Iron Man and Stark are now different people. Stark leaves the wreckage of Avengers Mansion as it is, and unveils Stark Tower, a state-of-the-art office building that becomes headquarters for the New Avengers team, of which he is a member. The miniseries Iron Man: The Inevitable reintroduces the Ghost, the Living Laser and Spymaster. Presenting the change in status quo — the focus of Iron Man stories shifting from superhero-ism to political and industrial tales — as Iron Man having elevated himself to a new place in his life where he is "beyond" apprehending supervillains, the miniseries sees a resentful Spymaster conspire to drag Iron Man back to that plebeian level. New Avengers: Illuminati #1 (June 2006) reveals that years before, in the wake of the Kree-Skrull War, Stark initiates a meeting at the palace of the Black Panther in Wakanda with Professor X, Mister Fantastic, Black Bolt,Doctor Strange, and Namor to form a clandestine, unnamed group (dubbed the "Illuminati" by Marvel) to devise strategy and policy regarding overarching menaces (Black Panther rejects membership and derides the other heroes for joining). Stark's original goal is to create a governing body for all superheroes in the world to answer to. However, the different beliefs and philosophies, besides the fact that many heroes choose to conceal their real identities, makes Stark's plan impractical. Despite this, the group agrees to share vital information. Learning of the government's plans to instigate a Superhuman Registration Act that would force costumed, super-powered individuals to reveal their identities to the government and sign on as licensed agents, Iron Man at first seeks to defeat the proposal, even going to such lengths as to hire the Titanium Man III to attack the hearing on the act as he testifies in order to manipulate opinion in his favor. However, at some point, Tony Stark's opinion of the Act changes, seeing it as a new means to achieve the goal that he had sought in forming the "Illuminati", and to tie the knots of friendship between ordinary humans and superheroes. He attempts to convince the other members of the clandestine group to support the new Act, stating that their input could prevent the Act from becoming too restrictive of superhuman activities, but all except Mr. Fantastic and Black Bolt reject the idea of registration. Stark becomes the figurehead of the Registration Act in the following Civil War storyline; Iron Man's forces and resistance led by Captain America clash in a climatic battle until Captain America, dismayed with the collateral damage and realizing his actions weren't bringing the end to the act any closer, stands down. Stark is then appointed the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and then revives the Avengers. Shortly after the events of Civil War, Captain America is killed on the steps of the courthouse for his trial. Despite his fervent belief in the registration act, Tony Stark looks down on the body of Captain America stating that most of what he had done in the name of the law "wasn't worth it" stating later at Captain America's funeral that "it wasn't supposed to be this way". After Tony Stark survives an encounter with Ultron taking over his body, he is confronted in the hospital by Spider-Woman, holding the corpse of a Skrull posing as Elektra. Becoming keenly aware of the upcoming invasion of the Skrulls, Tony gathers the Illuminati and reveals the corpse to them, declaring they're at war. After Black Bolt reveals himself as a Skrull and is killed by Namor, a squadron of Skrulls attack, forcing Tony to evacuate the other Illuminati members and destroy the area, killing all the Skrulls. Realizing they're incapable of trusting each other, the members all separate to form individual plans for the oncoming invasion. Soon after, a "Venom virus" hits New York, causing New York citizens and superheroes to be covered in symbiotes. After the battle, Iron Man learns the virus came from Latveria and launches a full-scale assault on its monarch, Doctor Doom. During the battle, Doom, Iron Man, and the Sentry are transported through time via Doom's broken time platform. Doom and Stark form an alliance in an attempt to return to the proper time without being seen or causing any actions that could alter their future and try to find a way to get a hold of the time platform at the Fantastic Four's headquarters. Thanks to the Sentry's memory spell, which erased knowledge of his existence from the minds of the public, they are able to return to the present. Recently, all of Stark's technology was compromised by the Skrull empire as a part of their invasion causing Stark to rebuild his armor from scratch to fight back in secret invasion 8. 'Powers & Abilities - Armour' Iron Man possesses powered armor that gives him superhuman strength and durability, flight, and an array of weapons. The armor is invented and, with occasional short-term exceptions, worn by Stark. Other people who have assumed the Iron Man identity include long time partner and best friend James Rhodes, close associates Harold "Happy" Hogan, Eddie March, and (briefly) Michael O'Brien. In addition to the general-purpose model he wears, Stark has developed several specialized suits for space travel, deep-sea diving, stealth and other situations. Stark has modified suits like the Hulkbuster heavy armor, composed of add-ons to his so-called modular armor, designed to enhance its strength and durability to allow it to take on the Incredible Hulk. A later model designed for use against Thor is modeled on the Destroyer and uses a mystical power source. Stark also develops an electronics pack during the Armor Wars that, when attached to armors that use Stark technology, will burn out those components and render the suit useless. This pack is ineffective on later models, however. 'Powers & Abilities - Weapons' The weapons systems of the suit has evolved over the years, but Iron Man's standard offensive weapons have always been the repulsor rays that are fired from the palms of his gauntlets. Other weapons built into various incarnations of the armor include the uni-beam projector in its chest; pulse bolts that pick up kinetic energy, but not solar energy, along the way, so that they hit harder the farther they have to travel; an electromagnetic pulse generator and an energy shield. Other capabilities include generation of ultra-freon, creating and manipulating magnetic fields, sonic blasts and a holographic generator to create decoys. In the 2008 movie, the suit has what appears to be a single fire arm-launched missile and a multi-targeting ballistic weapon that pops up from the shoulder blades. It is also equipped with flares, as heat-seaking missile counter measures; although they are used as an offensive attack in the final fight with the Iron Monger. In the 2010 movie, Stark's new model armor, the Mark VI, has a new beam weapon built into the gauntlets of his suit, which he promptly uses to dispose of many drones, while spinning 360 degrees. He is however only allowed to "use them once." as the crystals (or power sources) burn out after one use. 'Powers & Abilities - Powers' For a time, due to an artificial nervous system installed after he suffered extensive damage to his nervous system, Stark had superhumanly acute sensory perceptions as well as extraordinary awareness of the physical processes within his own body. This is no longer a part of the character's powers. After being critically injured during a battle with the Extremis-enhanced Mallen, Stark injects his nervous system with a modified techno-organic virus (the Extremis process) that not only saves his life, it gives him the ability to to store the inner layers of the Iron Man armor in the hollows of his bones as well as control it through direct brain impulses. Stark can control the layer of the armor underneath his skin and make it emerge from numerous exit points around his limbs as a gold-colored neural interface under-sheath. While in this form, Stark has technopathic control of the armor and can suit up at any time, calling the larger components to him. Furthermore, the Extremis process has increased his body's recuperative and healing abilities. He is also able to connect remotely to external communications systems such as satellites, cellular phones, and computers throughout the world. Because the armor's operating system is now directly connected to Stark's nervous system, its response time has been significantly improved. 'Powers & Abilities - Skills' Tony Stark is a genius, with an advanced degree in mechanical engineering. He has shown great business acumen, regaining control of his companies after losing them multiple times, and building the holdings of his companies, increasing his personal wealth. When Stark was unable to use his armor for a period of time, he asked Captain America for training in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat and has become physically formidable on his own. 'In Other Media' Apart from comic books, Iron Man and War Machine both appear in Capcom's "Marvel vs." video games including Marvel Super Heroes, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. Most of their move sets include abilities originally shown in the comic book. Iron Man is a playable character in the 1991 arcade game Captain America and the Avengers, Iron Man, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects, as well as being featured as an unlockable character in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse and Tony Hawk's Underground. Iron Man appears regularly in Twisted Toyfare Theater, a photographic comic strip made using toys and Adobe Photoshop that appears monthly in the magazine ToyFare. He is depicted as constantly intoxicated and usually has a beer in hand. His drinking usually gets him in trouble. In one issue, he bet on a wrestling match between two versions of Spider-Man and lost Stark Industries to Boss Hogg. In another, he resolves to quit drinking after being given an ultimatum to sober up or be kicked out of the Avengers, until the Incredible Hulk brings over a bunch of Party of Five episodes. After Iron Man drinks until he passes out with his head in the refrigerator, the Hulk takes his suit to impersonate him at the Avengers meeting, but ends up at The Hall of Justice instead. Due to licensing issues with DC Comics, this was later changed to the X-Mansion when the comic was reprinted in a collected volume. One story involved him attempting to reinstate Prohibition after successfully going to rehab. However, in the end he reverts to his alcoholic state. 'Cultural Impact' The rapper Ghostface Killah, a member of Wu-Tang Clan, titled his 1996 debut solo album Ironman, and has since continued to use lyrics related to the Iron Man comics and samples from the animated TV shows on his records. He has also adopted the nickname Tony Starks (cq) as one of his numerous alter-egos. Paul McCartney's song "Magneto and Titanium Man" was inspired by the X-Men's arch-nemesis and the original version of the Iron Man villain. Another Iron Man villain, the Crimson Dynamo, is mentioned in the lyrics to this song. The British band Razorlight mentions Tony Stark in a verse of their song, "Hang By, Hang By." "Iron Man" is a song by the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It was later retconned into the source of Iron Man's name, as it was a young Tony Stark's favorite song. Template:IssueThe Sabbath song is played over the closing credits of the 2008 movie. The character of Nathan Stark on the television show Eureka is inspired by Tony Stark. Category:Morphopedia Category:Pokemon Category:TV Reference Category:Humour